MetroRail losing almost 50 train carriages a year

Besides the financial cost to local government, rail infrastructure in the city is now on the verge of collapse, inconveniencing commuters and putting more strain on other modes of transport.

The city’s mayoral committee member for safety and security, and social services, Alderman JP Smith, has confirmed the deployment of a specialised law enforcement unit, tasked with guarding rail infrastructure, as a priority for Cape Town.

Return of the railway police

Cape Town’s Law Enforcement Department will be dispatching 100 officers, which will form part of the rail protection unit, to guard trains and platforms.

According to EWN, the Western Cape provincial department of Community Safety has now upped the ante by offering a substantial reward to anybody who can provide helpful information relating to the train attacks and its perpetrators.

Dan Plato, the MEC for Community Safety, has urged the public to come forward with information, adding that assistance offered to law enforcement agencies will go a long way to stemming the tide of train attacks, saying:

“The fact of the matter is that government cannot stand by and leave this situation to SAPS only. Although we don’t have operational control over the police, it’s important for the Western Cape government to assist police as far as possible.”

Plato confirmed that damage caused to trains and rail infrastructure in the past five years exceeds R210 million.